The Gnome's Gardens

25 Jun '06 11:10 pm

Pumpkin, Saskatoon berries have a taste all there own. Closer to a Blackberry than a Blueberry. Oh, and I am sorry to say the odd little upside down pumpkin didn't make it, poor thing.

Thank you, Jacqueline, for your kind thoughts. I'm glad to know someone is enjoying my thread. The positive comments are very much appreciated. (and the gnome takes a deep bow)

The sun came out today. I have been so busy doing things, I don't quite know where to begin.

Lets see now, I did re-potting of plants in to bigger pots. We got the tire planter filled and planted. We got the soil mixed for the big planter in the back yard, for Deb's veggie garden. I made 2 more planters for some new plants Deb bought that she really likes.(more on those later in the photos) I dyed some cotton blue for a new sun screen roof I am making for the greenhouse. I got some sewing done on the same. I did a little carving on my gnome. We had a BBQ with our new BBQ cooker. I mowed the lawn and ran the weed-eater at my house and my neighbours. Deb weeded and dead-headed all her planters. I lined up rocks along the south fence garden to see if I would have enough, and I do, and it looks nice, but the rocks need to be set in the ground. Right now they are just sitting on the grass. I fixed the washing machine. Oh yes, I gave the dog a bath.

Well, to be honest, mom came over yesterday and so some of this list was done yesterday before it rained like mad. But the sun was out and hot all day today.

I am making a cotton sun screen for the roof of the greenhouse. At first I used some old sheets for this, but they were too thin and tore ...... no good. Then we used a green tarp mom bought on sale, that was fine until it got real hot in the sun, then it stank up the greenhouse .......... no good at all! As it happened I had some strips of cotton left over from a job I did last summer, each strip about 1 foot wide and just over 8 feet long. I have 18 of these strips. So I went a bought some blue dye and dyed 5 strips blue. I am sewing them together with the natural colored strips to create a striped canopy. Sewing job almost done. Sewing is not my strong point. Pix to follow soon.

Last night in the rain I did get to carve a bit on my gnome. I got one of his arms carved. One more arm and I can assemble him. (I managed to carve his legs last week on a rainy day)

Yikes! I took a whole bunch of photos but have not had the time to process them. I will post some pix as soon as I get them sorted out. Please come back soon for a looky.

And, here comes another day. Rolling Eyes

Christopher

26 Jun '06 2:34 am

Christopher! You have been a busy-bee! I read your diary with great interest! And you create so many beautiful and useful things for your house! I admired your tire planters of your previous post! what an idea! And what is a weed-eater? Is it , maybe, a machine , that digs the surface of the ground in order to "ventilate " it? And while doing this, it picks up the weeds? Cause I have something like this, but it is called so differently here..And when you talk of "rocks", you mean big/middle sized stones, in order to create a rockery garden? It would be so interesting! And on the top of all these, you wash your dog, fix the washing machine, and carve your Gnome! You are a golden handed busy-bee!

26 Jun '06 4:37 pm

Thank you so much, Liza, for your kind remarks. Sometimes I feel like I don't get anything done around here. I guess it's the same for everyone.

As for the weed eater, now you've got me curious because now I wonder what your machine looks like. The one I've got is a HomeLite. It's a TrimLite 17" curved shaft string trimmer. That's its official name. When these machines first came out, they were put out by a company called Weed Eater and now that's what they're generally called. It had me curious, so I had to look on the box to see that it was a string trimmer.

Now what does your machine look like?

Christopher

27 Jun '06 1:37 am

Well, Christopher, I recognize in your machine, what I translate from French, "border cutter/trimmer"; meaning, cutting the parts of the lawn, that form the borders between the lawn and a flower garden/mixed border; which cannot be cut properly by the lawn mower machine. I have one of this, and when I do the job, it lasts for 2.30'H, and then I need to rest for at least an hour...During this job, I always wear my special back-belt...

But the machine I described you in my previous post, serves to loosen the surface of the soil under the lawn, thus ventilating it, refreshing it, giving it a sort of "lifting"! But at the same time, picking up the most of the weeds! I do this job in early Spring, always having the help of my husband, who uses the lawnmower exactly afterwards, in order to pick up all the huge quantity of dead lawn and weeds that is accumulated on the surface of the lawn. Needless to say, that the lawn has a pityful look right afterwards and for 10 days. But after the 10 days, it starts to grow and be happy non-stop! Ah! I forgot to tell you, that I feed the lawn right after my husband finishes his part. And if there is no rain, I have to water the lawn, too. But normally in Belgium early Spring is rainy....This machine, translated from French, is called "scarifier machine" here in Belgium.

For the first time in my life, I took pictures of .....a gardening machine!! Here is the Scarifier Machine :

27 Jun '06 3:57 am

Thanks, Liza. I have never seen a machine like that one. I can see what what it dose and I have a similar device. I would call that a "Thatcherizer" or a "Thatching machine". Also a power rake. I have a blade that goes on my lawnmower that dose the same sort of job, called a thatching blade.

Thank you for taking the pix of your machine. I am interested in tools as I am always looking for new ways to do things. Sjoerd posted an interesting hoe type of tool he uses to weed his lottie. I have plans to have a go at making my own version of it. I also have plans to get a forge built again. I have been without one since I left the west coast, but the forge is a great way to make tools.

Christopher

28 Jun '06 7:51 pm

Well my friends, it's been a most hectic time around our house! Deb and mom got her veggie planter all set and planted. I got the new canopy for the greenhouse finished. What a wonderful difference. It is so nice out there now. I cleaned out all the junk and debris and hosed it out....all clean. Room to move now.

When will it be at an end? We were just about through getting all the plants out of the greenhouse and now there is more plants! Mom brought over a whole arm load yesterday and we bought a whole bunch today. End of season sales, don't you know. Wink

I bought 2 Raspberry plants for 50 cents each. Deb bought 2 Strawberry plants for $1.29, on 2 for 1. We got some other lovely plants as well, like a Persian Shield. Pix to follow soon.

We bought some new planters as well. Rolling Eyes

Things are really starting to take off in the flower beds now the weather has turned sunny. I will get some fresh pix tomorrow, but for now take a look at these.

Christopher

28 Jun '06 8:06 pm

I forgot to post a pic of my new canopy for the greenhouse.

See you tomorrow. Wink

Christopher

29 Jun '06 1:14 am

Hiyah Christopher...That white flower on a stem(Mystery 3)is one of the campanula sorts. I have this oner as well as some light purpley ones. There are many.
Cheers....

29 Jun '06 1:22 am

All your treasures in your photos, Christopher, are just stunning! I mostly adore the two white adorable creatures, of the Plant and Animal Kingdoms!! And your canopy work is just perfect!

And , please, if you know the botanical name of yourstunning blue beauty called "Jacob's Ladder", I would really appreciate it!

The Gnome's Gardens

Re: Rain and Storms.....even hail!

Sunshine at last!

A busy -bee!

The Weed Eating Machine

Weed Eater

Interesting machine.

June is Roaring to a close!

One more thing before I sleep.

Living treasures!